AniMinneapolis provides you with a safe, exciting, fun place to make friends with people who share the same interests, as you participate in your choice of hundreds of different events. Over three days you can cosplay (optional), attend big events like concerts/dances/contests, play video games, and buy anime stuff. Because you'll be doing this among thousands of other anime fans, you're likely to meet a few cool people who like the same things and enjoy them together. Or, if you're a loner, we have some of the most epic event experiences you can imagine - exciting concerts, autograph sessions, hilarious panels and events, and much more.

Registration FAQs

What does my registration money go towards?
Your registration fees go towards making the best convention possible. Our largest expenses every year include paying for the hotel in which to hold the convention, and the special guests that highlight the convention (including flights, meals, and hotel rooms). We use it to get our full-color 8.5"x11" program guides, plastic card badges, and pay for the technology that we rent or buy every year (computers for registration, projectors for video rooms).

What are platinum badges?
Platinum badges get you first-in-line privileges at these events: Steam Powered Giraffe Concert, The Fantasy Ball, Each Nights Rave Dance. See more.

When should I pre-register?
The sooner you register, the lower the admission price you pay. Online pre-registration is a very easy and quick way to pay. Many people register as early as possible to save as much as they can, but some also wait until they can be certain they know that they are able to attend the convention. We recommend registering as early as you can, because your early registration helps us plan a bigger and better weekend.

What do I get for registering?
Your registration gives you access to the entire anamazing convention, which includes a weekend of over 50 different events, access to our massive exhibit hall, access to our video screening rooms, access to our video gaming room, and access to everything else. At this time, none of the events cost extra to attend - any exceptions will be noted in the event description (though it goes without saying that you can buy things in the dealers room or one of our auction events). Your registration pays for the special guests of honor you can meet, technology, program books, equipment, and everything that goes into putting an entire weekend of events together. Every con event has a lot of costs such as renting the venue, renting equipment, microphones, projectors, program guides, safety staff, and your registrations make these individual events in the convention possible.

Can I register by mail?
The only way to register is online. Online registration is much faster, and more secure, and your data is instantly entered into our registration database. HOWEVER, if you are with a school group of 10+ people and the only way you can register is with a paper check, contact us for help and we'll take care of you.

What is a badge?
A badge is a plastic/paper card with your name and registration ticket number that lets you into convention events. You can pick up this badge, with a lanyard to wear it, at the registration desk when you get to the convention. The conference badge grants access to all events of the convention, but use of the badge is subject to all terms, conditions, and rules of the convention. Attending is a privilege, and badges can be revoked without refund for violation of the rules at any time by convention staff.

What should my "badge name" be?
A "badge name" is the name we print on your badge. Many people choose their character or cosplay names, or use their real names. Some people choose to use just their first names. Please limit your badge name to less than 20 characters. Space for us to print your name on the badge is limited.

Is there a group discount?
Yes, when 10 people or more register as a group (such as an anime club) you can get 10% off the current registration price per person. This happens automatically! Simply add ten people who are over 13 years old, and you'll see the discount applied. All ten registrations must be paid for together online with a credit card using the same account (or with an official school check for school groups). Email with questions.

Is there a discount for children?
Yes. Children from 7 to 12 can get a weekend badge for $10 off the price for adults, but children under 13 must be accompanied by a supervisory adult who also purchases a badge at the full adult price (max 2 children per adult). This can be done online or at the door, but they must be purchased at the same time (not separately, ever). The single day price for children is the same as for adults, there is no discount for single day registration for children. Children under 7 are admitted free with the purchase of an adult registration. Children under 7 do not need to buy a badge or register. Children under 13 must be with an adult at all times.

Can I bring my mom or grandma?
Yes! They need a badge to enter convention space, but to make it easier we give you an automatic $5 discount to anyone over 40 registering with at least two relatives under 18. This discount is only valid online, and only if you register together.

Is there a discount for educators or teachers?
To make it easier for school groups to attend, teachers, or other licensed educators who are chaperoning a school group, can register for our convention for free by emailing us at least 35 days before the convention. We encourage groups to bring their teachers. Unfortunately since our convention reaches such a wide audience, only those individuals employed by a school/university/etc at least half-time are eligible for free admission.

Where do I get my badge?
You must pick up your badge (or register) at the registration desk, they will not be mailed. We request that you provide photo ID if you have pre-registered. There will be separate lines for pre-registration and at-con registration, please be sure to find the correct line.

How do I get registration confirmation?
We will email you with confirmation of your registration soon after registering, in most cases. Please save your PayPal receipt, as it can also serve as confirmation of your registration. You only need your ID to pick up your badge, you don't need your email (though it may speed up the process).

I pre-registered and can't make it this year, can I get a refund?
We try to have a generous refund policy. We can send you a refund, minus a $5 fee each, if the refund is requested soon enough after registering, but not when the convention is too close. We do not allow badges to be resold, given away, or otherwise transferred to other individuals. See the complete policy.

Why should I pre-register?
Pre-registration helps us estimate the number of attendees we will have, and it helps us pay for things in advance. If you pre-register, we can invite more guests, buy more food for our ConSweet if we have one, plan more entertainment, and a lot more. Oh, and you save money.

What do my convention registration costs go towards?
Your registration payments are used for a number of purposes to facilitate holding the convention, such as paying the hotel or convention center, bringing in VIP guests of honor, and getting equipment used during the convention. Early registration gets a discount, as we are often able to lower costs when we can more accurately estimate the number of people attending in advance. Your registration fees also help us put a large number of hours each week into planning the event.

What if I have questions about other things?
If your question is not answered, please check our website for a section that may answer your question. Only if you can not find the answer online, you should contact us.

Many parts of the skywalk are under a "uniform hours" program. Skywalk hours may change, but these are the expected hours to use the skywalk for convenient inside travel!
M-F 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.**
Sat 9:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.**
Sun Noon - 6 p.m.**
**Note: We have been told that the skywalk will be open until 1am during our convention. However we can not be 100% certain as this relies on several different venues remembering to keep their section open during that time.

Tia Ballard

Raised on generous helpings of wacky cartoons, this Southern blonde goofball works in the animation industry as an actor, writer, and director. With over 150 animation and video game roles under her belt, plus writing and directing, she is well trained in the art of not sleeping!

“Tia is a good person and if you don’t love her you’re probably a jerk.”-Tia’s best friend
“So, Tia dresses up like Mickey Mouse or something at these conventions? I don’t get it.” -Tia’s brother
“Tia is delicious!” -A cannibal

Twitter: @tiatoony

Marissa Lenti

Marissa Lenti is an anime voice actress who you can hear as Libra in Fairy Tail, Mistress Sadie in One Piece, Ilse Langnar in Attack on Titan: Junior High, Momoko Hyakushiki & Kuu in NANBAKA, Chiaki Hoshinomori in Gamers!, Alicia Florence in Aria the Animation, Kohaku in In Another World With My Smartphone, and Atsuko Yoshida in Keijo!!!!!!!, among others! She’s also appeared in many video games, like SMITE, Paladins, Torment: Tides of Numenera & Yandere Simulator, as well as mobile games, such as when she lent her voice to Thor in Marvel’s Avengers Academy, Mametchi, KuroMametchi, & Kuchipatchi in My Tamagotchi Forever, and when she voiced Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, & Queen Novo in Hasbro’s My Little Pony apps. When she’s not acting, she’s casting & directing for Sound Cadence Studios, with some of her recent projects being ScrewAttack’s DEATHBATTLE! and DBX, as well as Rooster Teeth’s RWBY Vol 4 & 5, Red vs Blue, and Camp Camp. She also directs for FUNimation, most recently serving as assistant director for NANBAKA seasons 1 & 2! To learn more about Marissa, check out her website at www.marissalenti.com or follow her on Twitter @LentiSoup!

Chuck Huber

Chuck Hubers most recent anime roles are Android 17, Emperor Pilaf and Kibito in Dragon Ball Super, Kurogiri in My Hero Academia, Jajuka in Escaflowne, Kuro in Servamp, Kuniharu in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Asanaga in Endride, Kyūta’s Father in The Boy and Beast, Tony Stark in Death Battle, and Jason the Toymaker in CreepyPasta. Chuck Huber started acting in Anime in DBZ. Since then he has voiced hundreds of characters including Hiei in YuYu Hakusho, Stein in Soul Eater, Kululu in Sgt. Frog, Mohji in One Piece, Shou Tucker in Full Metal Alchemist. He has been a writer on Hetalia, Sgt. Frog, Baccano, Spice and Wolf, Strike Witches, Dragonaut and Skip Beat!

Video games Chuck has contributed voices for include Borderlands II, Ghostbusters, The Walking Dead, Aeon Flux, DBZ, Smite, The Killing Floor… among others. As a filmmaker Chuck has acted, produced, written or directed for Arbor Day – The Musical currently on Amazon Prime, Prince Adventures, The Troubadoors, The Fragility of Seconds, The Mechanical Grave, Odd Man Out among others. He began acting in Chicago at the Goodman Theater, Court Theater, Steppenwolf Theater after graduating from DePaul University and continues to work on stages in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He also plays Dr. McCoy in Star Trek Continues; Dean Hansen on Season 2 of American Crime on ABC and Detective Swinton in the The Harrowing.

Masquerade

Our masquerade will be the best opportunity to show off your costumes and see some awesome, talented people. We have excellent judges, and wonderful competitors. We do everything we can to make your costumes look excellent. Do you want to compete? Get the full cosplay contest details first.
Online signup is only open when the con is between 60 and 10 days from now. You can sign up at the con until we're full.

Exhibit Hall

Our exhibit hall will feature some of the most awesome vendors ever, with tons of anime swag to take home. Dealers will be selling everything you can imagine, from costumes and corsets to pocky and DVDs, you'll be able to find some awesome stuff in our dealers room. We also have several artists selling their own handmade stuff, from chain-mail armor to buttons.

Video Games

Our video gaming area features 32" LCDs screens and more, with gaming tournaments happening all weekend. Last year we even had DDR machines, Pump-it-Up, and more, to give you something fun to do during downtime (like we have that!).

Nightly Dances

We have several official, amazing DJs in our guest DJ lineup, including Party Monster DJs, Lucid Beats, and DJ Oso. We know how to break it down with awesome EDM dance music (hey, that's redundant!). Jumpstyle. Hardstyle. Techno. Trance. Maybe even dubstep? (If that's still cool by then). No stops and no bad DJs.

Formal Fantasy Cosplay Ball

As a special treat, our convention holds an annual fantasy ball. Admission is free to convention attendees with a badge. In addition, we will have professional formal dance lessons before the event begins, taught by an experienced dance instructor. For those without dates, we will even have our very own Date Auction on Friday afternoon, before the ball. Semi-formal outfits and above required for this exciting featured event.

AnimeCon.org's Fabulous Date Auction

Unrivaled by any other convention, AnimeCon.org's Fabulous Date Auction is your chance to win a date to the formal ball.... or several, if you're greedy. Join our sexy 15-con veteran host Dantes as they auction off other cosplayers to the highest bidder. Money goes towards improving the con, and 10% of all winning bids is donated to charity.

Concerts

AniMinneapolis features epic concerts with some awesome nerdy musicians like YTCracker. We have also featured musical intermissions and performances by other bands doing sci-fi and anime themed performances. In 2014 we excitedly feature Steam Powered Giraffe!

Maid Cafe

Our maid cafe is a fun experience similar to maid cafes in Japan - but much more suited to AniMinneapolis. Come, and be the king of your own maid world (you'll find out what this means!) (Note: Tickets can be purchased at the con. Snacks are included.)

Maid/Butler applications are closed. You can apply to be a maid or butler when the con is between 30 and 90 days from now.

Panels

AniMinneapolis has tons of panels, submitted and created by attendees like you. Talk about favorite shows, compete in homemade game shows, learn stuff, and more! Everything you love, from Lolita and Dolls, to Homestuck, Hetalia, and Pokemon, we'll have it. Panels can be run by fans about their favorite subjects, they could be organized by our staff, or they could be hosted by our very own guests of honor. Want to run a panel? Go to the event submission page.

Cosplay

We are excited to feature tons of cosplay events, in addition to the mainstage masquerade cosplay competition, including photoshoots, meetups, panels, and much more. We schedule meetup/photoshoot times for different fandoms to gather in their outfits, and we have a hall costume contest you can compete in to win free admission for next year. If you are looking for the masquerade, check out the cosplay info page.

ConSweet

We provide a wonderful ConSweet filled with free snacks, ramen, and rice all weekend. To help you get through the convention filled with energy, our ConSweet provides congoers with unlimited rice, ramen, and soda throughout the entire weekend. Please clean up after yourself.

Meetups

Meetup with people who like the same stuff as you. Whether it's Ball Jointed Dolls, Lolita Fashion, Kingdom Hearts, J-Pop, or whatever, you'll make friends here.

Autographs

We have a ton of awesome guests and of course you can have their autograph. Autographs from most of our special guests are free, so bring your favorite DVD to get signed (no bootlegs, please). Every year we try to have a list of guests that you may not otherwise ever get a chance to meet, so we hope you'll come out and say hi to them!

Tabletop Gaming

We are very proud to feature Gnome Games as hosts for our tabletop gaming room. Every year our tabletop gaming room includes collectible card games, various board game tournaments, and more.

Anime Screenings

Every year AniMinneapolis has a room dedicated to streaming anime. This is a chance to relax and catch up on what's new in the world of anime, or even discover a classic show that you might fall in love with.

Karaoke

Karaoke is huge in Japan and we think it should be a staple at conventions too. Come to the Karaoke Krypt and sing with your fellow anime fans. We have a huge library of music for you to choose from. Be sure to come by and hang out with us. Sometimes we will be playing AMVs before Karaoke sessions start.

Room Parties

Room Parties are not official events of AniMinneapolis. Attendees can host parties in their hotel room during the convention. These are often fun social or anime-themed events. Learn More.

Panels and Other Stuff

Every year we have a ton of panels submitted by attendees, in addition to panels and events that are run by our staff. The actual full list will be published about a month prior to the convention, and it usually includes over 100+ events.

The AniMinneapolis Dealer's Room is an epic place to find all your favorite anime merchandise. Vendors will be selling things ranging from custom-made outfits, to plushies, to DVDs, to comics, and everything else in between.

Photography is generally not permitted in the dealer's room, to prevent people from stopping in the middle of aisles and making it hard to get around. Excessively large props will typically not be allowed in the dealer's room. AniMinneapolis enjoys giving attendees the flexibility to bring most reasonable sized props (smaller than you) into the vendor room, and we ask that you respect other attendees by being mindful of props and large costume pieces.

The artist alley is a place to meet artists, buy handmade crafty-things, see beautiful works of art, get commissions, and buy cool artsy things! Come to the AniMinneapolis artist alley to see some really cool and unique art works, and possibly even commission your own.

Becoming an Artist Alley Participant
All of our artist alley tables are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis unless we are given other reason to reject you (ie: previous rule-breaking). Tables will be 6'x30", depending on what the hotel has available. This is subject to change in future years.

Artist's Alley Policies

Any objectionable content must be limited to viewers 18+ with proper identification. Anyone found selling objectionable content to minors may have their table revoked.

Artwork must have significant originality to meet copyright laws. EG: eyeballing or tracing artwork and selling it is not permitted.

Work that is not created by the table owner (manufactured plushies, buttons, etc, that you didn't make either yourself or in collaboration with another) can not be sold as an artist - these are items that only dealers can sell.

Only two chairs are allowed at each artist alley table, and your work must not exceed the space allotted to your table. While multiple artists may share a table, they must not exceed the space allotted.

Artist's Alley is going to be in a room that is locked at night.

We are not responsible for anything lost or stolen.

Rules may be amended or altered by AniMinneapolis staff at any time, and decisions by AniMinneapolis staff are final.

Registration FAQs

What does my registration money go towards?
Your registration fees go towards making the best convention possible. Our largest expenses every year include paying for the hotel in which to hold the convention, and the special guests that highlight the convention (including flights, meals, and hotel rooms). We use it to get our full-color 8.5"x11" program guides, plastic card badges, and pay for the technology that we rent or buy every year (computers for registration, projectors for video rooms).

What are platinum badges?
Platinum badges get you first-in-line privileges at these events: Steam Powered Giraffe Concert, The Fantasy Ball, Each Nights Rave Dance. See more.

When should I pre-register?
The sooner you register, the lower the admission price you pay. Online pre-registration is a very easy and quick way to pay. Many people register as early as possible to save as much as they can, but some also wait until they can be certain they know that they are able to attend the convention. We recommend registering as early as you can, because your early registration helps us plan a bigger and better weekend.

What do I get for registering?
Your registration gives you access to the entire anamazing convention, which includes a weekend of over 50 different events, access to our massive exhibit hall, access to our video screening rooms, access to our video gaming room, and access to everything else. At this time, none of the events cost extra to attend - any exceptions will be noted in the event description (though it goes without saying that you can buy things in the dealers room or one of our auction events). Your registration pays for the special guests of honor you can meet, technology, program books, equipment, and everything that goes into putting an entire weekend of events together. Every con event has a lot of costs such as renting the venue, renting equipment, microphones, projectors, program guides, safety staff, and your registrations make these individual events in the convention possible.

Can I register by mail?
The only way to register is online. Online registration is much faster, and more secure, and your data is instantly entered into our registration database. HOWEVER, if you are with a school group of 10+ people and the only way you can register is with a paper check, contact us for help and we'll take care of you.

What is a badge?
A badge is a plastic/paper card with your name and registration ticket number that lets you into convention events. You can pick up this badge, with a lanyard to wear it, at the registration desk when you get to the convention. The conference badge grants access to all events of the convention, but use of the badge is subject to all terms, conditions, and rules of the convention. Attending is a privilege, and badges can be revoked without refund for violation of the rules at any time by convention staff.

What should my "badge name" be?
A "badge name" is the name we print on your badge. Many people choose their character or cosplay names, or use their real names. Some people choose to use just their first names. Please limit your badge name to less than 20 characters. Space for us to print your name on the badge is limited.

Is there a group discount?
Yes, when 10 people or more register as a group (such as an anime club) you can get 10% off the current registration price per person. This happens automatically! Simply add ten people who are over 13 years old, and you'll see the discount applied. All ten registrations must be paid for together online with a credit card using the same account (or with an official school check for school groups). Email with questions.

Is there a discount for children?
Yes. Children from 7 to 12 can get a weekend badge for $10 off the price for adults, but children under 13 must be accompanied by a supervisory adult who also purchases a badge at the full adult price (max 2 children per adult). This can be done online or at the door, but they must be purchased at the same time (not separately, ever). The single day price for children is the same as for adults, there is no discount for single day registration for children. Children under 7 are admitted free with the purchase of an adult registration. Children under 7 do not need to buy a badge or register. Children under 13 must be with an adult at all times.

Can I bring my mom or grandma?
Yes! They need a badge to enter convention space, but to make it easier we give you an automatic $5 discount to anyone over 40 registering with at least two relatives under 18. This discount is only valid online, and only if you register together.

Is there a discount for educators or teachers?
To make it easier for school groups to attend, teachers, or other licensed educators who are chaperoning a school group, can register for our convention for free by emailing us at least 35 days before the convention. We encourage groups to bring their teachers. Unfortunately since our convention reaches such a wide audience, only those individuals employed by a school/university/etc at least half-time are eligible for free admission.

Where do I get my badge?
You must pick up your badge (or register) at the registration desk, they will not be mailed. We request that you provide photo ID if you have pre-registered. There will be separate lines for pre-registration and at-con registration, please be sure to find the correct line.

How do I get registration confirmation?
We will email you with confirmation of your registration soon after registering, in most cases. Please save your PayPal receipt, as it can also serve as confirmation of your registration. You only need your ID to pick up your badge, you don't need your email (though it may speed up the process).

I pre-registered and can't make it this year, can I get a refund?
We try to have a generous refund policy. We can send you a refund, minus a $5 fee each, if the refund is requested soon enough after registering, but not when the convention is too close. We do not allow badges to be resold, given away, or otherwise transferred to other individuals. See the complete policy.

Why should I pre-register?
Pre-registration helps us estimate the number of attendees we will have, and it helps us pay for things in advance. If you pre-register, we can invite more guests, buy more food for our ConSweet if we have one, plan more entertainment, and a lot more. Oh, and you save money.

What do my convention registration costs go towards?
Your registration payments are used for a number of purposes to facilitate holding the convention, such as paying the hotel or convention center, bringing in VIP guests of honor, and getting equipment used during the convention. Early registration gets a discount, as we are often able to lower costs when we can more accurately estimate the number of people attending in advance. Your registration fees also help us put a large number of hours each week into planning the event.

What if I have questions about other things?
If your question is not answered, please check our website for a section that may answer your question. Only if you can not find the answer online, you should contact us.

About AniMinneapolis 2019

AniMinneapolis 2019 is a family-friendly anime convention in Minnesota. This three-day event focuses on video gaming, Japanese anime, Japanese manga, and bringing authentic Japanese culture and anime to life.

Get tickets now to celebrate cosplay, video gaming, anime, music, and more.

AniMinneapolis 2019 is another fine convention organized by AnimeCon.org